Launched in 1955, the World Press Photo competition has evolved from a small national contest into a global event with thousands of participants. It celebrates the best works in photojournalism and documentary photography, focusing on urgent news, sports, nature, social, political, environmental issues, and more, captured throughout the past year.
The competition is open to professional news and documentary photographers worldwide.
This event collaborates with six global regions: Africa, Asia and Oceania, Europe, North and Central America, South America, and West, Central, and South Asia. The evaluation of works is based on two main criteria: geographical region and format. Participants can submit their works in the following categories:
Categories:
- Single Image: A standalone image that tells a single moment, event, or story. Single-frame images must have been taken in 2025.
- Stories: A series of 4 to 10 single images that tell a coherent narrative, taken in 2024 or 2025 (at least four images must be from 2025).
- Long-Term Projects: An in-depth project of 24 to 30 images that reflect the photographer’s commitment to covering a subject over a minimum of three years (including 2024 and 2025).
- Open Format: For stories that require a different approach from traditional structures. This section allows for the submission of stories that may involve multimedia, archival images, or innovative or unconventional visual techniques (while maintaining the integrity and credibility of the documentary content).
Conditions for Submissions:
- Images must be free from unrealistic manipulation; excessive manipulation will lead to disqualification.
- Editing should be minimal and comply with Ethical Guidelines.
- Files must include EXIF data or a valid explanation.
- Works must have been taken in 2024 or 2025; older works will not be accepted.
- No visible name, logo, or watermark on the images.
- Images should be in JPEG format, high quality, and between 700 KB to 2 MB in size.
Required Documents:
- Proof of professional photographer/photojournalist status (e.g., press card, membership certificate from a recognized photography association, or at least one certificate showing the publication of work in 2024 or 2025).
- Accurate and complete captions in English (location, date, and description of the work).
Prizes:
- €1,000 for each regional winner.
- €1,000 + €10,000 cash prize for the overall winner, “Photographer of the Year World Press Photo.”
- FUJIFILM GFX camera and lenses for the overall winner and two finalists.
- Invitation to attend the award ceremony in Amsterdam.
- Display of works in the annual traveling exhibition held in over 80 cities worldwide, with more than 4 million visitors.
- Publication of selected works on the website and social media, and in the annual book.
Entry Fee: Free of charge.
Deadline for Registration and Submissions: January 17, 2026 (28 Dey 1404)
For more information, please visit the official competition website.
